Supervalu Q2 Raises Questions

MINNEAPOLIS Supervalu's sharp declines in sales and profits for the second quarter led analysts to speculate whether the slumping company can regain lost market share with a new pricing initiative. The company, based here, said it was implementing a strategy it calls fair pricing plus promotions in order to drive more consistent volume from shoppers who Supervalu indicated had been cherry-picking

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu's sharp declines in sales and profits for the second quarter led analysts to speculate whether the slumping company can regain lost market share with a new pricing initiative.

The company, based here, said it was implementing a strategy it calls “fair pricing plus promotions” in order to drive more consistent volume from shoppers who Supervalu indicated had been cherry-picking items on sale. Some analysts, however, wondered whether the strategy could be